Species of Concern
Mammals | Birds | Reptiles | Amphibians | Insects | Flowering Plants
The following list includes some (but not all) of the Species of Concern in Region 3 and actions that have or are being taken to document their status
or conserve the species. As time and budget allows, species and additional
information will be added to this list. Region
3 is the lead region unless noted otherwise. Abbreviation indicates
the lead Field Office within Region 3 (e.g., TCFO).
Blanding's turtle
Photo by Tina Shaw; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
"Species
of concern" is an informal term that refers to those species which
Region 3 believes might be in need of concentrated conservation actions.
Such conservation actions vary depending on the health of the populations
and degree and types of threats. At one extreme, there may only need
to be periodic monitoring of populations and threats to the species
and its habitat. At the other extreme, a species may need to be listed
as a Federal threatened or endangered species. "Species
of concern" receive no legal protection and the use of the term
does not necessarily mean that the species will eventually be proposed
for listing as a threatened or endangered species.
Guidance
for Conducting Status Assessments
Recent Actions
90-Day Finding for U.S. Population of Northwestern Moose (Alces alces andersoni) (June 3, 2016)
90-Day Findings on Two Midwestern Species (March 15, 2016)
American burying beetle (currently listed as endangered) and Yellow-banded Bumble Bee
90-Day Findings on 4 Midwestern Species (September 18, 2015)
Northern bog lemming, Wood turtle, Regal fritillary butterfly, Rusty patched bumble bee
90-Day Findings on 5 Midwestern Reptiles and Amphibians (July 1, 2015)
Alligator snapping turtle, Blanding's turtle, Spotted turtle, Green salamander, Illinois chorus frog,
Mammals
Northern bog lemming (Synaptomys borealis sphagnicola)
Substantial 90-Day Finding
Range: AK, ID, MT, MN*, ME, NH, NY, WA
Petition from Wild Earth Guardians
Moose: U.S. Population of Northwestern subspecies of Moose (Alces alces andersoni)
Substantial 90-Day Finding (June 3, 2016)
Range: Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin
Petition
Three Grassland Thicket Species:
Prairie Gray Fox, Plains Spotted Skunk and DPS of the Mearn’s eastern cottontail
News Release: (December 5, 2012): Prairie Gray Fox, Plains Spotted Skunk May Warrant Protection Under the Endangered Species Act; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Review Species’ Status
Federal Register (December 4, 2012): 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Prairie Gray Fox, the Plains Spotted Skunk, and a Distinct Population Segment of the Mearn’s Eastern Cottontail in East-Central Illinois and Western Indiana as Endangered or Threatened Species (13-page PDF; 225KB)
The Petition Process
A Petition to list Three Grassland and Thicket (Early-Successional) Species as Threatened or Endangered under Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. 14-page PDF
Birds
Baird's
sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii)
Fact Sheet, Status
Assessment and Conservation Plan (Region 6 lead); TCFO
Black Tern Status Assessment (1999) 137-page PDF  ; 7.8MB (Region 6 lead); TCFO
Available Information
Common
tern, Great Lake Population (Sterna hirundo)
Common Tern Status Assessment (2003)
Golden-winged warbler
90-Finding on a Petition to List under the Endangered Species Act
Status Assessment and Conservation Plan for the Henslow's Sparrow (2012) (136-page PDF; 3.8MB)
Henslow's Sparrow Distribution, Relative Abundance and Habitat Selection in the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region 2011 (57-page PDF ; 2MB)
September 9, 1998, Federal Register
Notice of Finding on Petition to List as Threatened PDF
1997 Decision on the Status Recommendation (decision not to designate as candidate species)
Status
Assessment (1996) PDF , 109 pages
Status Assessment Report Summary (completed in 1996); BFO
Status assessment completed November,
2000 (pdf file); BFO
Literature review for Region 3 states and Ontario is underway; GBFO and TCFO
Status of Northern Goshawk; Proceedings
of a Workshop
Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii)
Historic Range: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas
Current Range: Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas
Lead Region: Region 6
Region 3 Lead Office: Twin Cities Field Office
Listed as Candidate: 2010
Removed as Candidate: April 5, 2016
12-Month Finding on Petition to List Sprague's Pipit (April 5, 2016)
12-Month Finding on a Petition to List Sprague’s Pipit as Endangered or Threatened Throughout Its
Range (Sept. 15, 2010)
90-Day Finding on a Petition to List Sprague’s Pipit as Threatened or Endangered (Dec. 3, 2009)
Species Profile
News Release (April 4, 2016): New Information Shows Sprague’s Pipit Does Not Require Federal Protection
Reptiles
Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)
Positive 90-Day Finding July 1, 2015; status review underway; Southeast Region
Questions and Answers about 90-Day Finding
News Release
Petition to List 53 Species of Reptiles and Amphibians (454-page PDF)
Information and Ongoing Conservation
Illinois DNR - Recovering Alligator Snapping Turtles: partners coordinate release in southern Illinois creeks (August 1, 2014)
Illinois DNR Pamphlet: Recovery of the Alligator Snapping Turtle in Illinois
Positive 90-Day Finding; July 1, 2015; status review underway
Questions and Answers about 90-Day Finding
News Release
Petition to List 53 Species of Reptiles and Amphibians (454-page PDF)
Information and Ongoing Conservation
Midwest PARC's Conservation Assessment Survey (October 2010) 47-page PDF
Minnesota DNR Blanding's Turtle Home
Northeast Regional Blanding's Turtle Conservation Plan (5-page PDF)
Wisconsin DNR Blanding's Turtle Home
Wisconsin DNR Blanding's Turtle Species Guidance (7-page PDF)
Prescribed Fire Use and Important Management Considerations for Amphibians and Reptiles within the Midwest (10-page PDF)
Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata); Northeast Region
Positive 90-Day Finding; July 1, 2015; status review underway
Questions and Answers about 90-Day Finding
News Release
Petition to List 53 Species of Reptiles and Amphibians (454-page PDF)
Information and Ongoing Conservation
Massachusetts Forestry Conservation Management Practices for Spotted Turtles
Maine Fact Sheet for Spotted Turtle
Michigan Natural Feature's Inventory Spotted Turtle Home
Wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)
Substantial 90-Day Finding (Sept. 18, 2015)
Range: CT, DE, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV, WI and Canada
Included in a petition to list 53 Reptiles and Amphibians from the Center for Biological Diversity
Illinois Chorus Frog
Photo courtesy of Michael Jeffords; Illinois Natural History Survey
Eastern Hellbender Status Assessment Report (2003) - 43 page PDF. Location information has been blacked out in the copy of this status assessment because collection is a serious threat to this species.
Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus); Southeast Region
Positive 90-Day Finding July 1, 2015; status review underway
Questions and Answers about 90-Day Finding
News Release
Petition to List 53 Species of Reptiles and Amphibians (454-page PDF)
Positive 90-Day Finding July 1, 2015; status review underway
Questions and Answers about 90-Day Finding
News Release
Petition to List 53 Species of Reptiles and Amphibians (454-page PDF)
Information and Ongoing Conservation
Habitat Conservation Initiative for the Illinois Chorus Frog (19-page PDF) State of Illinois - - Sept. 2009 to August 2012
Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates [=Rana] pipiens)
News Release (Oct. 4, 2011): Endangered Species Act Protection for Northern Leopard Frog is Not Warranted
12-Month Finding on a Petition To List the Northern Leopard Frog in the Western United States as Threatened (PDF)
Fishes
Coaster brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
12-Month Finding and 90-Day Finding on a Petition to List as Endangered and Background Information - Listing not warranted
Status assessment (pdf) completed; Ohio Field Office
Status assessment (PDF); Ohio Field Office
Status assessment underway; CMFO
Longhead
darter (Percina macrocephala)
Status assessment underway; Ohio Field Office
Status assessment completed in 1995; BFO
Decision on the Status Recommendation (decision not to designate as a candidate
species)
Shortjaw cisco (Coregonus zenithicus)
Status Assessment: Status of the shortjaw cisco (Coregonus zenithicus) in Lake Superior - July 2005; East Lansing Field Office
Spotted Darter Candidate Assessment Form (July 2011)
Status assessment - 2004 (PDF); Ohio Field Office
Mussels
Salamander Mussel (Simpsonaias ambigua)
Status assessment underway; GBFO
Frigid Ambersnail (Catinella gelida)
Federal Register Notice: 12-Month Finding on a Petition To List the Frigid Ambersnail as Endangered - listing not warranted July 26, 2011 (4-page PDF; 60KB)
Status assessment underway; Rock Island Field Office
Iowa
Skipper (Atrytone arogos iowa)
Data and Literature Compilation - April 2005
Regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
Substantial 90-Day Finding (Sept. 18, 2015)
Range
: AR, CO, CT, DE, IL, IN, IA, KA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, SD,VT, VA, WV, WI
Petition from Wild Earth Guardians
Rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis)
Substantial 90-Day Finding (Sept. 18, 2015)
Range
: CT, IL, IN, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, NC, NJ, OH, TN, WI
Petition from the Xerces Society
Fact Sheet
Swamp metalmark (Calephelis muticum)
Status assessment underway; Wisconsin Field Office
A shovel-headed leafhopper - no common name (Attenuipyga vanduzeei)
Status assessment underway; Wisconsin Field Office
Yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola)
Substantial 90-Day Finding (March 16, 2016)
Range
: CT, IL, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, NC, ND, OH, PA, RI, SD, TN, VA, VT, WV, WI
Petition from Defenders of Wildlife
Status
assessment completed in 1995; BFO
Decision on the Status Recommendation (decision not to designate as candidate
species)
Hall's
bulrush (Schoenoplectus (Scirpus)
hallii)
Status Assessment completed in 1998; CMFO
Status assessment completed in 1997; ELFO
Decision on the Status Recommendation (decision not to designate as candidate species)
Oklahoma grass pink (Calopogon oklahomensis); Lead Field Office CIFO
October 4, 2011 New Release: Endangered Species Act Protection Not Warranted for Oklahoma Grass Pink Orchid
Federal Register Notice: Not Warranted 12-Month Finding on a Petition To List Calopogon
oklahomensis as Threatened or Endangered (15-page PDF)
Wolf's spike-rush (Eleocharis wolfii)
Status Assessment published 2009
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